Founded in 2001, Housing Illinois was a coalition of over three dozen housing advocates, planning organizations, faith-based service and advocacy groups, foundations, development intermediaries, nonprofit developers, public agencies, and financial institutions organized to develop a communications outreach campaign to generate the civic will to increase the supply and acceptance of affordable housing throughout the Chicago metro region.
Housing Illinois was originated by the Chicago Rehab Network (CRN) and managed by a steering committee co-chaired by CRN and Business and Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI).
Housing Illinois worked to bolster support and minimize opposition to affordable housing. Housing Illinois developed communications materials and strategies that fostered the civic will necessary to increase the availability of affordable housing in the greater Chicago area and the state of Illinois by:
1) Making the public and policy makers more aware of the affordable housing crisis and informed of its scope, causes, and solutions;
2) Demonstrating to the public and policy makers that it is both important and feasible to solve the problem;
3) Engaging both the public and policy makers in actively developing and supporting solutions to the problem.
From the Campaign:
The cornerstone of the Housing Illinois campaign is the use of television advertising to positively influence public opinion of affordable housing issues in the Chicago region and the state of Illinois. The campaign will take an integrated approach to marketing the Housing Illinois message about the look of affordable housing and the people who need it. The efforts of Housing Illinois members and other affordable housing stakeholders in local communities will be reinforced by the television and radio ads and through the use of a variety of print ads, posters, and brochures in their public awareness campaigns.
The lack of affordable housing in the state is a crisis that cannot be ignored. Real estate values are escalating at an alarming rate and the well-being of our communities is at stake. Housing Illinois knows that affordable housing is good for the health of civil society, our state, and our communities and we tailored our message to address the misconceptions about affordable housing and the people who need it.
Check out a few of the ads run by the campaign:
"We Need the People Who Need Affordable Housing"
"New Look"
